


The garden

by ShyLady



Series: Brienne, the lady in waiting [1]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:53:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23554117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShyLady/pseuds/ShyLady
Summary: Daenerys had conquered Westeros with her dragons. Brienne's father apparently had always been loyal to  House Targaryen, keeping that secret even from her, and now he was reaping the fruits of his machinations. Brienne had never thought of Selwyn Tarth as a cunning man or a skilled player.
Relationships: Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth
Series: Brienne, the lady in waiting [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1701877
Comments: 16
Kudos: 87





	The garden

Daenerys had conquered Westeros with her dragons. Brienne's father apparently had always been loyal to house Targaryen, keeping that secret even from her, and now he was reaping the fruits of his machinations. Brienne had never thought of Selwyn Tarth as a cunning man or a skilled player, but he had shown her that many things were unfamiliar to his own daughter.

The queen had rewarded him, giving the Stormlands to his house. Brienne was heir to her island and also Storm's End, the castle that had belonged to Lord Renly.

Daenerys had then requested that Brienne become one of her ladies-in-waiting. Not her personal guard, not part of her Kingsguard, but a lady. The Targaryen queen had said that she hoped to arrange a good marriage and Brienne had been horrified. She had cried and begged her father. But Selwyn had told her the decision was final. She would remain in court and accept whomever the queen chose. If she wanted to duel her future husband, he would not stop her.

Life at court however had not been so terrible. Brienne always wore men's clothing. She could practice in the yard as much as she wanted and she was not the only warrior woman in King's Landing; there were also women from house Mormont, the Iron Islands, Dorne and the Free Cities. There were even mercenaries.

Sometimes Brienne attended court ceremonies, where the people of the kingdoms - highborn or peasant - made their requests. Sometimes, in the privacy of her rooms, the queen asked for Brienne's presence to talk about the history of the Seven Kingdoms or just to play Cyvasse. Sometimes Tyrion Lannister, the Hand, was there, watching them both silently, or he was the one playing with the queen, or sometimes, he was the one asking questions about Tarth and the Stormlands.

He could not be more different from his brother Jaime and she knew the relationship between the two was not pleasant.

Jaime had been forgiven by the queen. He had been expelled from the Kingsguard, of course, and had been disinherited Casterly Rock long ago. The only thing that had not been taken away was his title of Ser. Some said that the only reason the Imp didn’t throw him into a dungeon was because he was still useful to the crown.

They hoped to use him in a marriage alliance, Brienne suspected.

Brienne sometimes saw Jaime in court or in some hallway of the Red Keep, where he barely greeted her. He seemed very different from the man who had accompanied her to the Eyrie to save Sansa Stark.

What she deeply disliked was participating in the parties Daenerys organized with her ladies and servants. Although it was an event attended only by women, Brienne felt out of place. It was the only time the queen made her wear a dress. Although she felt exposed, at least the first time, the ladies had never behaved rudely toward her. In fact, they were more focused on their own amusement than on Brienne's presence.

That night, it was not much different from other gatherings where the women danced, laughed and sang, filling themselves with food and wine. There were musicians from Tyrosh, jugglers from the Summer Isles, and fire eaters from Lys.

Although the novelty at first had amazed Brienne, she had begun to get bored. Usually she would run away into the inner garden, which was lit by torches. The guards let her through, always.

* * *

Jaime entered the room and found a group of women scattered on colorful pillows. It was an interesting spectacle seeing the highborn ladies in different states of nudity, most of them drunk, engaged in activities that he was sure would not be condoned by their septas. They even dressed in the same way as the queen, who had brought gowns and seamstresses from the Free Cities. Some women became aware of his presence, even one shouted something lewd at him.

Daenerys and Margaery Tyrell were together in a corner, muttering things to each other. Which of the two was more dangerous was difficult to estimate.

Tyrion was not at the Red Keep, so Jaime had nothing to do there. He decided to go out through one of the gardens. He remained a forced guest of the queen, until she or the Hand arranged his next task. Sometimes he wanted to go back to the camps to be with his men, to feel as though he had a purpose again.

Jaime saw her figure, in the delicate moonlight and the diffused light of the torches. He could recognize her, her square shoulders, her strong arms, the curve of her hips. Now she wore long hair, braided into a straw blonde tail.

 _We are in times of peace_ , he reminded himself.

She sensed his presence and turned. Always alert, the wench stood firmly. He clearly heard the whisper of silk wrapping around her body. Daenerys had finally put Brienne in one of her strange gowns. It was like a transparent mousseline robe, but the several layers of fine fabric could not hide her.

He could see her breasts rise and fall with each breath, see her pink nipples through the thin fabric. Her thick thighs were outlined with decadent precision.

_Nothing you haven't seen before._

“What are you doing here?” She asked.

“My little brother summoned me tonight, although he did not tell me that the sweet queen's coven would be meeting.”

Brienne smiled at him. The gesture only accentuated the thick white scar on her cheek. Jaime felt the need to escape. He had nothing to do with her anymore.

“It's not as bad as it seems,” she said as her pale lashes fluttered. She was still so young.

“And why are you outside? Did they not treat you well?”

Brienne shrugged.

“They ignored me. It was a relief, of course. I am not as free of spirit as they are.” Then remembering that her dress protected her modesty very little, she hunched over and crossed an arm over her chest.

Jaime smirked.

“Here,” he said and took off his cloak, placing it on the wench's shoulders. Their fingers met, when they both tried to hold the straps and he felt goosebumps. Her eyes were beautiful in the moonlight, deep wells in the vastness of the night. But he already knew that, he knew it very well.

He lowered his left hand and she tied the straps around her neck.

“Thank you, Ser Jaime.”

He tried to forget the image of her freckled skin in vain.

“Will you go to the training yard tomorrow?” Brienne asked, a bright blush on her face.

“Why? Do you want me to go see you train?”

“I want to spar with you.”

There was something vehement about her request, something he didn't want to see.

 _No._ _I don't want to go to you._

“Yes, I will be there.”

“Tomorrow,” she said.

“Tomorrow,” he agree.

She gave him one last lopsided smile and entered the palace.


End file.
